Guardian of Friendship
by PencilofAwesomeness
Summary: Pitch returns with the help of a mysterious figure full of unexplained hatred. The Guardians must defeat the pair, who are more powerful than ever, with the help of the newest Guardian, Percy Jackson!
1. The Day I Died

**I came up with this idea (I have no idea how…) and I just had to do it, so I'm sorry. I don't intend for this story to be connected to any other story, except for maybe Fire and Ice. Please enjoy. I'll alternate between Percy's and Jack's point of view, unless I feel the urge to do a chapter or two in 3****rd**** person.**

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Chapter 1: The Day I Died

Percy

We were surrounded by the shadow monsters. I honestly didn't intend on getting in this fight, but it just happened.

Annabeth, Grover, Nico, and I were just going out for pizza that cold November day, just to hang out, when we were randomly attacked by a hoard of these black monsters that leaped out of the shadows. None of us had any idea what they were, but we were forced to fight them anyways.

It's been hours now, or at least it felt like it. Every time we killed one, another one came. My back was against Annabeth's, and I panted slowly, facing the next row of monsters. The panther-like beast lunged at me, and ducked under it, slicing its belly with Riptide. It dissolved like black sand, which still was weird to me.

The fight continued, and I knew we were all exhausted. The array of animal-like monsters still attacked for unknown reasons. A was fighting a horse-like one (which bothered me) when I noticed Annabeth was starting to struggle with her monster. A monster lunged at her, straight for Annabeth's throat.

I threw myself in between them and killed the monster with a slash through its neck. However, my focus on saving Annabeth left myself open, and I knew it. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a human-like shadow being, but it was already too late.

All the sound around me stopped; all I could hear was the pounding of blood in my ears and the faint screams of the others. I sank to my knees, and I faintly remembered seeing a black blade protruding through my chest. The world around me went black, and I hit the ground.

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My eyes flew open and I jumped to my feet. No one was there, though I was in the same spot. The first thing I saw was the moon, bright silvery-white and full. I remembered the blade, and I looked down. Nothing was there except for a whole in my shirt and a scar above my heart. Was I dead?

"Yes, yes you are." The voice startled me, and I looked up to see a woman floating in the moonbeams. Artemis looked older than how she normally looks, taking the form of a woman in her early twenties instead. "Yes Percy, you are dead," she confirmed, knowing what I was thinking. Sorrow filled her eyes.

"Then why am I here?" I asked. "Shouldn't I be on my way to the Underworld?"

"Normally, yes," Artemis answered, "but I have an offer for you. You may or may not know that I am also Protector of the Young."

I nodded, remembering Thalia mentioning it before. But what did that have to do with me?

"I have been gathering a band of heroes to protect and serve the children," Artemis answered my unspoken question again. My thoughts were not safe. "They are immortal, like my Hunters, and they have vowed to protect the children of the world with their lives. There are many beings around, but this job is mainly done by the Guardians, a group I have personally assembled. I want you, Perseus Jackson, to become one of them."

I was taken back. Not only was she offering this to me, a _guy_, but I had no idea how to respond. "Me?" I asked stupidly. "Why?"

"Because of your heart, Percy; you risked your life for Annabeth, and I honor that. Plus, your whole life you protected the weak. I believe that you will be great at protecting the young children, not yet polluted by the troubles of mankind," Artemis explained.

Another figure emerged from the shadows. "You know," Hades added, "he has the chance to go to Elysium."

Artemis bit her lip. "It's your choice."

I had no idea what to do. I didn't want to become a god because I would lose my purpose, and be stuck wandering the Earth for forever, but something about what Artemis said clung to me. I would have a purpose; to protect the innocent. Plus, I could watch over my friends and family, along with other defenseless mortals that I already struggled to protect.

After a long pause, I answered. "I thank you for your offer, Lord Hades, but I will accept Artemis' instead."

He narrowed his eyes, and then laughed softly. "You were always an over-achiever nephew," he said to me, then turned to Artemis, "And you always take the good ones." Hades merged back into the shadows.

Artemis looked ready to burst with pride. "Thank you, but first we must get your father's approval. I have never chosen a half-blood before."

This surprised me. "Then how do you come to them, if they're mortals?"

"Well, I try not to freak them out, so I just appear as the moon to them. Unfortunately, this lead to them creating several nicknames…" she explained, muttering the last part.

Poseidon appeared beside her. He looked at me, his gaze filled with sorrow. "Is this what you want?" he asked. I nodded. A small smile appeared on his lips. "That's my boy…" he whispered. "You will be a water spirit, known to the children as Tide." He awkwardly hugged me. "I'll always be there for you," he whispered.

Artemis nodded. "Perseus Jackson, you will hereby be known as Tide, a spirit of water existing primarily to serve the children of the world."

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**If you're mad, then just stopped reading; I wanted to make Percy a Guardian, and I had to kill him first, so there. I promise that there'll be action soon, but first I have to establish Percy's new situation, so be patient. Reviews are loved, just no extreme flames; we do not want to melt Jack Frost.**


	2. Going Through the Motions

**You guys are amazing. Not long after I put the first chapter up I get amazing reviews and my story is followed. So I will vow not to disappoint you! This is more of a filler chapter, so…yeah.**

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Chapter 2: Going Through the Motions

Percy

Knowing that you are dead while you are roaming the country is the weirdest feeling, _ever_, especially when all the mortals pass through you like you are made of mist. Artemis warned me that only people, kids mainly, who believed in me could see or touch me, but it was still shocked me when a lady walked right through me.

Currently, I was walking up the Long Island beach, testing the range of my powers. They were pretty much the same, but there was no feeling of tiredness after using my powers. A small boy in the corner of my eye caught my attention.

He had sandy blond hair and his cheeks were smothered in freckles. His eyebrows were knitted together in a firm determination as he attempted to fill the moat surrounding his sand castle. Every time he tried, however, the water was quickly absorbed by the sand.

I couldn't help but laugh as he threw his plastic blue shovel down in defeat, crossing his arms and staring at the empty moat. Almost out of instinct, I drew in water from the tide, keeping it low to the ground, but slightly above so it wouldn't be lost to the sand, and dumped it into the boy's empty trench. Thanks to my presence, the water stayed above the sand, hardened to the point where it wouldn't budge, just slosh around like water was meant to do.

The kid's eyes lit up in delight as he gathered his shovel into his small fists and played once again with the castle. After watching him for a few minutes more, I continued to stroll down the coast, my bare feet barely sinking into the sand. The wind whipped through my messy black hair, my blue t-shirt, and my dark green cargo shorts.

Soon, I realized that I wasn't too far from Camp Half-blood. I toyed with the thought of going there, wanting to see my friends safe, but knowing that I would be heart-broken when I saw them again. The first thought won, and I stepped into the water to swim the rest of the way.

I already had my destination in mind, so when the water whisked me there within a couple of seconds, I nearly passed out. How did I do that? I gingerly touched the water with my toe. Forming an idea, I thought of another place, farther up the beach. Instantly, the water enveloped me as I zoomed towards the place, practically one with the water.

There were perks to being dead, but seeing Annabeth curled up on the beach, hugging her knees, with her face full of mourning nearly broke me. "It's okay, I'm here," I automatically murmured, trying to wrap my arms around her. But I passed right through her, and my words dissolved into the wind. I sighed, half-way knowing that that would happen. I cocked my head though when she looked up, glancing around like she heard somebody. Tear tracks ran down her face and her gray eyes were dull from crying.

"Percy…" she whispered, voice cracking slightly. She took a deep breath and sighed, probably remembering once again that I was dead. "It's all my fault," she murmured miserably.

"No, it's not," I tried comforting. The waves reached up and lapped over her feet, and I realized that it was my doing. She sniffled, and managed a smile, somehow comforted by the act. For a second, she looked up and me, creating eye contact. Her gray eyes were full of question, and I wondered if she could see me. Her gaze broke away every a few moments, and she buried her head in her arms once again.

Why did I torture myself by coming here? Watching Annabeth in this much agony was painful, and I couldn't do anything to comfort her. Sadly, I forced myself to walk away, and I found myself strolling through Camp. I winced when I saw the tattered remains of a silky blue flag with a trident on it in the fire, knowing the ritual had been performed.

Nico stared into the fire, his gaze full of question. I wondered if he knew that I never made it to the Underworld. Remembering Annabeth, I didn't even try to talk to him. I walked past, but then his head shot up, eyes wide in shock. "Percy?" he stated my name as a question.

I stopped and turned around. "You see me?" I blurted.

Nico nodded slowly. "I see the dead, remember… Wait, why are here? Did my father not let you in Elysium? I knew he didn't like you, but-" Nico questioned quickly, not once stopping to take a breath before I interrupted him by holding up my hand.

"I chose to be here, dude. I was offered Elysium, but I decided to take a…different path," I replied, not sure how I would explain the situation to Nico. "Let's just say I follow Artemis now, helping her out with the whole "Protector of Youth" thing. I'm 'Tide' now."

Nico cocked his head slightly, but nodded. He must have heard Hades say something about Artemis stealing dead heroes before. "It's good to see you, again," Nico whispered after a brief pause. "I was confused when your body was gone, but now it makes more sense. And Tide, seriously?"

I ruffled the younger boy's hair. "Hey, my dad chose that name," I protested, honestly not seeing how it was that bad.

We laughed. I glad to see that I brought joy to a total of two kids so far, if you can count Nico as a kid. He was defiantly young enough to be one, but he acted differently, since he has seen the same horror plus that demigods were normally faced with. After I while, I reluctantly left, and continued to roam New York.

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About a week passed. After a few incidents where I accidently teleported myself from the Hudson River to the Pacific Ocean, I realized that I could practically teleport from water source to water source. I was starting to get use to things, but it was still really difficult to cope with it.

I had seen my mom, crying in Paul's arms, while I was in New York. I could do nothing to comfort her, or tell her that I was okay, and I was forced to walk away.

I was at a beach in North Carolina when a boy, about the same age I was, approached me. He had white hair, and icy blue eyes, and he wore a blue, frost covered hoodie and tan pants. A staff with a hook on the end was firmly gripped in his hand. He actually saw me, too, adding to the strangeness of the boy.

"I am Jack Frost," he stated, "and I'm here to ask you to be a Guardian."

This just kept getting weirder.

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**That last part overlaps with the next chapter a bit, so don't get too weirded out when I post Chapter 3 (which will be in Jack's PoV). I really didn't know what to do for this chapter, and I really wanted Nico and Annabeth to see him, or, well, for Nico to see him. It only makes sense that Nico will be able to see him since he is a son of Hades, right? Anyways… I will be back. Until then, review!**


	3. A New Guardian

**You guys are amazing, you know that? I'm getting loving reviews and followers as fast as Fire and Ice (which is in awesome RotG read…)! I switch over to Jack's PoV now, but I have to back up a bit in the story, so bear with me. My friend (WiseGirl1999) convinced me to change Aquafier to Tide, just so you know. I went back and changed it, for now at least. In other news…I finally get to open my Mailbox!**

**Mailbox:**

**SylverWolf438: The boy with the sand castle was a spur-of-the-moment idea, and I was really happy with how it turned out, and I'm glad that you like it, too. ^^**

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Chapter 3: Questions and No Answers

Jack

The colorful aura of lights streaked the sky, catching my attention. I groaned, a bit upset that North interrupted my carefully (not) planned snowball siege on this playground I ran across in Washington, but I flew to the Frozen North anyways.

I perched on the windowsill. "What's up now?" I asked the other Guardians, who had already arrived and were waiting in the Globe Room.

"Man in Moon is telling us something," North stated, motioning to where the moonbeams were hitting the floor. I've been a Guardian for a few months now, and Manny only contacting us once, just to warn us about a drought in Toledo, so I was naturally curious.

Jumping down next to Sandy, I watched as the moonbeams intensified and played a picture in front of us. Much to our horror, images of Pitch danced before us, this time though, there was a feminine figure with him, one that I didn't recognize. All of a sudden, images of children screaming in fear flashed by, followed by a group of older kids, mostly teens, huddled together in a corner.

Though fear was still evident, they bravely faced an unknown enemy with fierce determination, swords and knives gleaming. Swords and knives? Why did these kids have weapons? I didn't have long to think about it, because the scene faded and a blue crystal rose out of the ground.

The other Guardians looked shocked and confused, obviously knowing something he didn't.

"New Guardian?" North stated, his voice laced in question. "Why pick new one so soon?"

An image of a boy, looking the same external age as me, appeared above the stone. He had wild hair that looked untamable, sort of like mine, and wore a t–shirt and shorts, with no shoes. A three foot sword was firmly gripped in his hand. Who was this guy?

The other Guardians must have had the same thoughts. "Blimey, I've never seen that bloke in my life!" Bunny cried.

Tooth tilted her head. "Maybe he's shy?" she suggested, just as lost as the rest of us. Sandy just formed question marks above his head and shrugged.

"Well," North clapped his large hands together. "If Man in Moon wants him to be Guardian, then he will. I'll go get sack."

"Wait, what?" I interrupted him, causing North to turn around. "What do you mean by 'sack'?"

He blinked at me. "The same sack I bring you here in. You said you love it."

I rolled my eyes. "I was being sarcastic, big guy," I laughed. "Shoving people into sacks is messed up. How 'bout you let me find him, okay?"

"Fine," North huffed, "Guardian of Fun can do it boring way."

I smirked and twirled my staff in my hands. "I'm doing it the sane way, not the boring way," I protested, already half-way out the window. Flying off to search for him, I couldn't help but replay Manny's message in my head. Something seemed different about the whole thing. I also wondered how the heck I was supposed to find this guy.

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Somehow, by some miracle, I spotted what must have been him in North Carolina on the beach. He was tall, and had shaggy black hair. He wore a blue tee and green cargo shorts, and his bare feet sunk into the sand. His bright, sea green eyes watched the kids with contempt as they ran around, phasing right through him at times.

This must be him. I softly landed on the beach behind him. His head shot up, and he whisked around to face me. "I'm Jack Frost," I greeted, "and I'm here to ask you to be a Guardian."

His sea green gaze fixed on me, like he was sizing me up. "You're the guys who officially protect the children, right?" he asked after a short moment of silence.

"Yeah," I replied slowly. "Where have you been the last five hundred years? Who are you anyways?"

"I'm Percy Jackson, err, well, Tide now. As for that first question, I'm only seventeen," he responded, sadness flickering in his eyes.

I knew he looked my age on the outside, but I didn't actually think he was that old. "Dude, what?" I couldn't help but asking. "There is no way you're only seventeen."

"Hey, I'm the newbie, I get it," he explained, "I've only been a legend for a week now… I've only been dead for a week now." The sorrow flashed back across his eyes, but it made sense now. No one knew who he was because he had just got here. But why was the Man in the Moon making such a young legend a Guardian?

"Tide, I'm sorry…" I really didn't know what to say. "I know you must feel lost right now, no one being able to see you and all. Trust me, I can relate."

Percy shrugged, a mischievous sparkle returning to his eyes. "I was warned about it when I first chose to do this, though it was a little freaky at first."

He chose to do this? It's not like it was a bad gig, but he had the choice?! "Let me get this straight, you were able to choose whether or not you wanted to do this?" I asked in disbelief.

Percy nodded, slightly confused now. This guy had only been a legend for a week, and he already talked with Manny more than I ever had.

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**So, that's it for now. I'm still fiddling with the idea of throwing them in the sack anyways… Let me know your thoughts about it; I have plans either way. Leave any suggestions in a review and I'll be back!**


	4. Introductions

**So this took a little bit longer than I expected to post. No kidding, I re-wrote this chapter four times before I finally decided to keep it, even now I'm not so sure… I wanted the PoVs to alternate evenly between Percy and Jack, but I couldn't write this chapter in Jack's PoV that well, so I just decided to do it in Percy's. I'd like to send a shout-out to TailsDoll13, who gave me the idea of the Guardian's reaction to finding out that Manny was really Artemis. Thanks! Anyways…on with the story!**

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Chapter 4: Introductions

Percy

So Artemis forced the other legends to become…legends? Of course, it sounded like she only picked certain ones. I guess other gods have fun with dead mortals as well. She mentioned that the "Guardians" had never seen her and called Lady Artemis by some dreaded "nickname". Maybe it was because I knew her (as in I met her and she didn't think I was too much of a pain even though I was a guy) that she gave me the choice. "Yes…" I said slowly, facing the white haired teenager.

Confusion clouded his icy blue eyes. He looked the same age as me, seventeen, but he was probably _way_ older. While Jack Frost stood there, fiddling with his crooked staff with a thoughtful gaze, I caught a glimpse of something big and furry moving behind me.

Having too much experience with monsters, I instantly went on alert, my body tense and Riptide (still in pen form) held tightly in my fist. Hearing a heavy step behind me, I whipped around just to face an overgrown, grayish bear-thing. A yeti maybe? I had no clue, but I was already kicking it in the gut.

It grunted in protest and fell on its butt, not making much of a move to get up. I kept expecting it to snarl and shout "Perseus Jackson!" or something and lunge at me, but it just sat there.

"Wait… what are you-," Jack moved over to the mutated shaggy dog, and squinted at it in confusion, but was cut off when another one came up behind us and pushed us into a burlap sack. I was about to uncap Riptide to slash through the thing, but an abrupt movement threw Jack into me and the pen flew out of my hands as I was pressed against the sack. Fumbling for Riptide (smooth, I know), I was unprepared when the sack landed on the ground unceremoniously, leaving me to roll out of it.

"North!" Jack grumbled irritably, crawling quickly out of the sack and standing in front of a group of legends.

I leaped to my feet and faced the odd crew, my pen/sword now safely in my hands. There was a big guy with a white beard and Russian get-up, a smile plastered on his face. A giant rabbit thumped his foot against the cement floor impatiently, and a short dude made of sand hovered an inch or two above the ground, studying me. A hummingbird-like girl flitted over to me, her violet eyes looking me over.

"I thought I told you not to use the sack!" Jack exasperated to the dude with the beard, obviously comfortable with them.

The man shrugged. "You said you loved being tossed in sack, and I was bored with all the waiting," he said with a thick Russian accent.

"Again, _sarcasm_, North," Jack stressed slowly, "I really meant that I didn't like being tossed in a sack and through a magic portal."

The man, North, laughed good-heartedly, "But tossing unsuspecting legend in sack is fun."

Feeling like I wasn't in that much danger, I relaxed enough to look around. The room was large, with a giant globe in the center. Thousands of dots covered it in various areas. Large sculptures and models surrounded the place, making it seemed more cramped if it weren't for the high, dome-like ceiling.

My thought were interrupted when the bird-lady stuck her fingers in my mouth. "Hmm…chipped canine, but stunningly bright teeth overall. You're missing a back molar… Seems very familiar…" she mumbled with investigating my teeth.

"Wha ar ya dowin?" I tried to protest, but found it hard to talk with my mouth pried open.

"Tooth," the oversized rabbit pulled her away from me, "stop looking at his teeth and give the bloke a chance to breathe."

"Oh, sorry!" the bird-lady, Tooth, cried, "I couldn't help myself."

"S'oka. So…, who are you guys?" I questioned the group.

"We are Guardians!" North bellowed. "I am Santa Claus, and there are also Easter Bunny," he gestured to the giant rabbit, "Sandman," he nudged the short sand dude awake, "Tooth Fairy," the bird girl smiled and waved, "and Jack Frost!" Jack leaned on his staff and smiled, a mischievous grin that would make Hermes jealous.

So, these were the Guardians that Artemis used to protect the children. Interesting group… "I've been told that I was being recruited or something, right?"

"Yes! Man in Moon has chose you to be Guardian!" Santa yelled enthusiastically.

"I still have no idea who you are, mate," the bunny brought up in an unmistakable Australian accent.

"I'm Percy Jackson, or, er, Tide or whatever," I explained yet again. The rabbit cocked his head, still confused. Yep, I was the newbie. "Wait, the _Man in the Moon_ recruited me?" I suddenly asked, slightly confused.

Tooth blinked at me. "The Man in the Moon leads us in a way, giving us advice and warnings, and Manny chose you to be a Guardian," she explained.

I remembered Artemis mentioning a hated nickname, and everything clicked. They though she was a _guy_! I honestly couldn't help myself from doubling over in laughter, much to the confusion of everyone else. "You think the moon is a guy?!" I managed to squeak out in between bouts of laughter.

Sandman nodded, and the bunny narrowed his eyes. "Why wouldn't he be, mate?" he asked back.

"_She_ happens to be Artemis, Greek godd_ess_ of the moon," I state slowly, trying not to overwhelm them.

All of the Guardians eyes widened. Jack, who was perched precariously on his staff, fell over ungracefully.

"Impossible! I-I-I was never told… I've been lied to all my life!" North exclaimed, his arms falling limply by his side.

Sandy's jaw dropped open, and he fell dramatically on his back.

Bunny fumbled with a boomerang and dropped it, letting it clatter once it hit the floor. "What?!" he yelled, eyes popped open in shock.

Tooth stretched her eyes open farther than I thought imaginable, then laughed quietly. "Does this mean I'm not the only girl on the team anymore?"

Just then, a pale white light shimmered in the middle of us, and a figure emerged. "I trust Percy has told you about my identity?" Artemis asked calmly, closing Sandman's mouth.

"You're the Man in the Moon?" Jack laughed, though it was filled with anxiety.

Artemis rolled her eyes and let out a small "hmph" sound. "Do I look like a man?" she demanded.

"She has this thing against males," I warned them, "Try not to get offended."

"How come you never showed yourself before now?" Tooth asked innocently.

"Well, you were mortals, and I didn't wish to upset the balance of things. Of course, you have proved yourself to be worthy, despite some flaws…," she glared over at us males, "I didn't want your knowledge of my being a deity to fill you with false confidence, because I honestly cannot do much when it comes to these affairs," Artemis explained.

"So why did you choose mister nobody over here to be a Guardian?" Bunny asked, tilting his head towards me. "I've never even heard of the bloke before!"

She glared at him with enough power to make the rabbit shut up. "That _nobody_ is one of the most powerful mortals on the planet, having faced more than you could ever imagine at the age of seventeen," she explained in an even, yet dangerous voice. "Even if I only made him a water spirit a week ago, he has been fighting the evils of Tarturus since he was twelve, and I have to admit that it is impressive."

"Aw, you do care," I smiled at Artemis, the man-hating goddess. She rolled her eyes then cut them at me, willing me to shut up.

"What?" North questioned, obviously confused. Question marks made of sand formed above Sandy's head to confirm the confusion.

Artemis sighed. "Pitch has found a new partner, a dangerous one. "I cannot tell you who it is, mostly because I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I know that Pitch has revived Greek monsters in his image.

"Wait! Is that what killed me?" I couldn't help but interrupt. I had the right to know these things, such as the cause of my death.

"Yes, and these things will kill more children, as well as teens and some adults, if you don't stop them." Artemis disappeared in a flash of moonlight, her warning still filling the air.

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**Sorry if that was boring, I know I thought it was… I promise that there will be action in the next chapter, though. If you have any suggestions, please leave it in a review and I'll take it under consideration. ;)**


	5. The War Begins

**Sorry this took so long to get up, my mind has been drowning in my own thoughts, and I couldn't get them all straight. I tried to write this in Jack's PoV first, but it didn't work out, so I just settled for Percy's again. I apologize if this seems a bit rushed. And thanks for all of the reviews and follows; they warm my heart! :')**

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Chapter 5: The War Begins

Percy

I secretly counted down the seconds until the Guardians snapped out of their daze and hit me with a barrage of questions, which I knew was coming. Three, two… The Easter Bunny opened his mouth on cue, but a blinking dot on the giant globe beside me caught my attention. "Umm, what do the blinking dots mean?" I asked, interrupting Bunny's expected question.

Santa, err, North whipped his bearded head around to see what I was referring to. "Children are in trouble, everyone in sleigh!" he exclaimed. If he didn't just say that children were in trouble, then I probably would've made some snarky comment about his heavy Russian accent. I also couldn't help but glance at the globe again, and stifle a gasp when I realize that the dots are in New York, fairly close to Long Island.

I follow them into a room where a supped-out version of Santa's classic sleigh stood. I smiled at how wrong everyone was when it came to depicting the thing, but when everyone started to climb in, I froze. "Wait, we have to _fly_ there?" I ask dumbly. Hey, I might be this cool un-dead immortal legend now, but I was still a son of Poseidon, still not on Zeus' good list, and still afraid of being struck down with lightning. And I'm pretty sure Saint Nick wouldn't be too happy if I caused his beautiful sleigh to be shot out of the sky.

Surprisingly, Bunny stood next to me, unwilling as well to climb into the flying machine.

"Yeah, hence the reason we're climbing into the sleigh…" Jack struggled not to laugh; I could tell.

"Ya know, if the newbie doesn't want to fly, then I could just take 'im there in my tunnels," Bunny offered, a little too quickly. Aw, he was scared of heights too; that's so sweet.

North rolled his eyes. "You two only ones to hate sleigh," he huffed.

Taking that as an answer of some sort, Bunny smiled and thumped his foot on the ground. What was he doing? A gaping hole appeared under our feet. _Crap_, I thought, as I plummeted down into the earth.

For a second I thought Hades was still mad at me for past occasions and was swallowing me up. Then I thought that Gaia returned and was going to swallow me up, and I expected dirt to fill my eyes, nose, and mouth. Then I remembered that I was half-dead and following a six foot tall warrior rabbit to New York through a tunnel. It was surprisingly smooth, and I slid down on my back and butt like it was a slide. I really wish that I could say that I didn't let out a girlish shriek on the way down though…

A yellowish-white light and blue sky appeared in a hole in front of me and I shot up into the air. The hole beneath me disappeared and I landed roughly on the sidewalk. Bunny stood over me, holding his side in laughter, as I scrambled to my feet. "Ha ha, I know; it must have been hilarious," I replied to his chuckling sarcastically.

"Ya should've seen the look on your face, mate!" Bunny stated in the mist of his laughter, though it was dying down. I rolled my eyes and looked around the streets of New York, my former home. There was the Empire State building in the distance, the park where Annabeth and I would meet was the next block over, and- Oh gods, there was the _pizza shop_.

Why, of all places, did we have to end of _there_? Bile rose up in my throat when I thought back to the events that took place there just a week or so earlier. My grip on my pen that I didn't even realize I was holding tightened, turning my knuckles white. My eyes roamed to a red stain on the pavements. Gods, please don't tell me that that was _my_ blood.

Bunny must have seen my face go pale, because a furry paw rested on my shoulder. "Don't worry mate, it was probably just some bloke who tripped and skinned their knee, not the children who were in danger," he tried to assure me. Did he think I thought that we were too late to save the kids? Man, I hoped that we weren't, but so wasn't what was bothering me. The place gave me the chills.

A jingling noise made me look up. A golden, swirling portal appeared and North's sleigh streaked across the sky. Sandy, Tooth, and Jack flew out, and the big guy just jumped, all of them landing on the sidewalk next to us.

"So, where was the distress signal?" Jack questioned, perching on his staff.

No one had the chance to answer, because right then a large, snarling black telekhine-like creature leapt out and attacked me, obviously since I was there favorite demigod since the Mt. St. Helens fiasco. All of the others made a move to help me, but I had already uncapped Riptide and slashed back at the modified monster. My bronze blade sliced through its flat, seal-like muzzle, causing it to growl in rage. Its claws reached for my chest, but I kicked him off me before they went too far into my skin. The telekhine landed on the concrete with a thud, but twisted around to lunge back at me a second later. Unfortunately for the monster, it leaped straight into my blade. Riptide was embedded in its underbelly for about two seconds before it crumpled into odd black sand.

I turned around to see the Guardians gaping at me…again. Each one of them had their weapons raised like they were about to come bail me out, but my quick battle must have stunned them.

Jack recovered from the shock first. "That was awesome!" he cried, forming what I believe is his trademark grin.

"You are natural with sword," North commented, swinging around his own sabers.

"Wow, you really are an impressive warrior, just like Ma- Artemis said!" Tooth exclaimed.

Sandy smiled and gave me a thumbs up. Quiet guy, isn't he?

"You're pen is a sword!" Bunny called in disbelief. Saw that one coming.

"Yeah, it was a gift from my dad," I answered him reluctantly.

"Whom I am still resentful towards for obvious reasons," a new voice, a female one, spoke, catching us all off guard. Her words dripped with hatred and resent, giving the newcomer a cold presence.

We simultaneously whip around to face a middle aged with straight black that fell to her elbows and astonishing cold, gray eyes. Her pale skin contrasted with her dark features, and a stygian iron blade was in her grip. How did she manage to get one of those? She took a few strides forward; her stone colored dressed swaying moderately in the breeze. Her frightening eyes flickered dangerously, and anger fell off of her in waves.

"Perseus Jackson!" she bellowed.

Oh no. That was never a good sign.

"Who are you?" I question, my grip tightening on the hilt of my sword.

"I am the one your father betrayed when you were born!" she hissed. "He promised that he wouldn't conceive a child, yet here you are! A hero, praised by the Olympians themselves." She jabbed her finger towards the blood stained sidewalk block. "You should've stayed dead! Yet you were reborn as an immortal. I have become a mockery, thanks to you! No one appreciates the weight of their promises anymore. With your death, maybe, I can change that."

With that, an army of black, sand-like creatures, both normal animals and Greek monsters, rose from the shadows, surrounding us.

"Of course, a good friend of mine has offered his assistance, so I must thank him for the army. He wishes you and your friends dead as much as I do," she continued. "And I swear by myself that I will do everything in my power to do so."

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and I knew I was in trouble.

"I am Styx, goddess and master of revenge and hatred!" After her monologue was over, the army attacked.

* * *

**I'll try to explain things a little better in the future, but you/they are meant to be slightly confused right now. I promise I'll try to update quicker next time, but homework might get in the way. Of course, they more you review, the more I am obliged to update faster! ;)**


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